Vehicle having easily removable and replaceable and reusable wheel

ABSTRACT

An axle mounting assembly for a vehicle. The assembly comprises a yoke ( 24 ) including a generally U-shaped member defining a slot ( 26 ) for receiving an axle with the slot extending vertically and having an upper opening. A member ( 54 ) is removable attachable to the yoke to close the opening for removably retaining the axle in the yoke. A block ( 56 ) is disposed in the slot and spring biased to effect bearing of the block against the axle for distributing the load between the assembly and other axle mounting assemblies.

Priority of U.S. provisional patent application No. 60/071,544, filedJan. 15, 1998, is hereby claimed.

The present invention relates generally to vehicles such as transfercars for transporting heavy loads of steel or the like within a plant.More particularly, the present invention relates to mounts for the wheelaxles on such vehicles.

Transfer cars have longitudinal and transverse members forming aframework or bed for receiving heavy products for transport within theplant. They have wheels which are received on rails for movement of thetransfer car.

The treads (circumferential rail-engaging portions) of transfer carwheels undergo a great amount of wear with the result that they must bereplaced often. A conventional transfer car has wheel mountingassemblies wherein the axles are fixedly mounted in holes formed in thelongitudinal frame members, and the wheels are rotatably mounted on theaxles. Removal and replacement of the wheels accordingly requires thedifficult and time-consuming task of disassembling the axles from theholes and re-assembly thereof.

The treads of worn wheels could be re-machined for re-use. However, there-machining process reduces the tread diameter so that such re-machinedwheels have not been usable in conventional transfer cars with theconventional wheel mounts described above.

It is accordingly an object of the present invention to more easily andquickly remove and replace a transfer car axle and wheel.

It is another object of the present invention to re-machine and re-usetransfer car wheels.

It is still another object of the present invention to more uniformlydistribute load on the wheels.

It is yet another object of the present invention to retrofit existingconventional transfer cars with axle mounts which achieve the aboveobjects.

In order to allow a transfer car wheel to be quickly and easily removedand replaced, in accordance with the present invention, an upwardlyopening yoke is formed in the transfer car frame for receiving each endportion of an axle, and the axle is held in position by a retainer cap.

In order to adjust for a reduced diameter of the wheel tread due tore-machining thereof so that the wheel life may be extended, inaccordance with the present invention, a shim is installed between eachaxle end portion and the corresponding retainer cap.

In order to more uniformly distribute load between wheels, in accordancewith the present invention, a spring assembly is installed between eachaxle end portion and the corresponding retainer cap.

The above and other objects, features, and advantages of the presentinvention will be apparent in the following detailed description of thepreferred embodiments of thereof when read in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings wherein the same reference numerals denote thesame or similar parts throughout the several views.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of a transfer car which embodies thepresent invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged partial side elevation view thereof taken alonglines 2—2 of FIG. 1 and illustrating an axle mount thereof.

FIG. 3 is a partial plan view of the axle mount.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view thereof taken along lines 4—4 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged detail view of the portion thereof encircled bycircle indicated at 5—5 in FIG. 2.

FIG. 6 is a partial plan view of an alternative embodiment of the axlemount.

FIG. 7 is a partial side view of the axle mount of FIG. 6.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to FIG. 1, there is illustrated generally at 10 a transfer carwhich has a bed or platform framework 12 comprising a plurality of steelsupport members or C-channels 14 extending fore and aft and a pluralityof steel transverse support members extending cross-wise thereto andwelded thereto. A plurality of axles 20 are mounted on each side of thetransfer car 10. The end portions 18 of each axle 20 are mounted to theouter two members 14 on the respective side of the transfer car. 10. Awheel 22 is rotatably mounted on each axle 20 centrally thereof so thatthe wheel is disposed between the outer two members 14 on its respectiveside of the car 10. The transfer car 10 may be otherwise suitablyconstructed.

Referring to FIGS. 2 to 5, there is shown a mounting of the end portions18 within yokes 24 respectively, which are generally U-shaped membershaving vertically oblong cut-outs, illustrated at 26, with lower squaredpassages or slots, illustrated at 27, and with upper enlarged(rectangular) openings, illustrated at 28, through which the axle endportions 18 are received for mounting thereof to the members 14respectively. The mounting is shown retrofitted in a conventionaltransfer car, it being understood that a transfer car may alternativelybe newly constructed to have a suitable mounting, using principlescommonly known to one of ordinary skill in the art to which the presentinvention pertains.

Since the mountings for both end portions of an axle are similar, onlyone will be described herein. In order to retrofit the mounting, theexisting C-channel as well as an existing side plate 36 are severed asneeded to provide a cut-out therein to receive the yoke 24, which isinserted therein and welded thereto, as illustrated by welds 30. Aportion of the C-channel, as illustrated at 34, which would otherwiseinterfere with dropping the axle 20 into the yoke 24, is also suitablyremoved. Reinforcing vertical backing plates 32 are suitably positionedon the fore and aft sides of the yoke 24, inwardly (toward the wheel 22)of the yoke 24 and adjacent the opening 28, and are suitably welded tothe C-channel 14. The yoke 24 is suitably welded to plates 32 and 36.Mounting and reinforcing the yoke 24 may be conducted in other suitableways and will vary depending on the construction of the transfer car.Since the procedures therefor will vary and are within the knowledge ofone of ordinary skill in the art to which the present inventionpertains, they will therefore not be described in greater detail herein.

The yoke 24 has uniform width over its height. The side walls 38 of thecut-out 26 are parallel to each other. The bottom of the cut-out 26 issuitably relief undercut, as illustrated at 40. The central portion 50of the axle 20 is circular in cross-section. The axle portion 18 istruncated by milled flats (removal of material therearound) to have agenerally square shape in cross-section. Thus, the axle portion 18 has apair of sides 42 which, instead of being arcuate, are straight andparallel to each other so as to provide a snug but not tight fit withinthe slots 27, i.e., so that the axle portion 18 is freely movablevertically within the slot 27 if not otherwise restrained. These milledflats 42 are also provided to prevent axle rotation. The axle portion 18also has upper and lower sides 44 and 46 respectively which arestraight, parallel to each other, and perpendicular to the sides 42. Thecorners between the sides 42, 44, and 46 remain rounded, as illustratedat 48.

In order to mount the axis 20, the squared or blocked end portions 18,which may have shims or shim blocks 52 attached to their upper sides 44as hereinafter described, are passed within the respective openings 28and inserted into squared passages 27 and allowed to fall to the bottomsthereof. Retainer caps 54 with spring assemblies including spring blocks56, which will be described in greater detail hereinafter, are thenapplied with the spring blocks 56 received in passages 27 respectivelyabove the respective shim block 52 and the retainer caps 54 received inthe rectangular openings 28 respectively and suitably attached to retainthe end portions in the desired positions within the yokes 24respectively.

The wheel 22, which has a single flange tread portion 58 for engaging arail, is rotatably mounted to the axle 20 by means of a greased bearingassembly, illustrated generally at 60. Bearing assembly 60 comprisesroller bearings 63, outer races 65, and endcaps 67 held together by aretainer ring 69 and is provided with grease through passage 62 bygrease fitting 64, which is mounted in a counterbore 71 in the center ofone end of the axle 20.

The side walls 66 of enlarged rectangular opening 28 are spacedlaterally from side walls 38 of the squared passage 27 thereby defininga floor 68 between each wall 38 and the respective wall 66. Each floor68 has a squared notch 70 extending across the floor 68 intermediate therespective walls 38 and 66. The retainer cap 54 is sized to fit with asmall clearance between the walls 66 and flush with the top of the yoke24. The retainer cap 54 is shaped to conform to the shape of floors 68,thus having squared ridges or protruding portions 72 on its lowersurface which are received in notches 70 respectively and further has asimilar squared ridge 74 which extends with a small clearance into thepassage 27. The retainer cap 54 is further sized so that the ridges 72fit snugly against the inner walls 71 respectively of notches 70 (with asmall clearance with the opposite or outer walls 73) to enhance thestrength of the mounting. The retaining cap 54 is tightly secured to theyoke 24 by a pair of screws 76 which pass through apertures 78 in theretaining cap 54 which pass through the ridges 72 and are threadedlyreceived in threaded apertures 80 in the yoke 24. A safety wire 92 issuitably attached to the screws 76, in accordance with principlescommonly known to those of ordinary skill in the art to which thepresent invention pertains, to prevent loosening thereof. Thus, byremoving screws 76, the wheel assembly or cartridge may be quickly andeasily removed, and it may be quickly and easily replaced after thewheel 22 is re-machined, or, if the wheel is too worn to be re-machined,a new wheel assembly or cartridge may be quickly and easily installed.The re-machined wheel may be retrofitted as a cartridge, i.e., axle,roller bearings, outer race, endcaps, for ease of replacement.

The shim block 52 is provided to compensate for reduction in the wheeloutside diameter as a result of re-machining thereof. For example, for awheel 22 having a diameter of 20 inches, the shim block 52 may have athickness of about ½ inch. As the wheel diameter is reduced, the shimthickness is increased by half of the diameter increase. Thus, in theabove example, if the wheel diameter is reduced to 19 inches, areduction of diameter of 1 inch, the shim block having a thickness of ½inch would be replaced with one having a thickness of 1 inch. Thus, thewheel diameter may be reduced in diameter by as much as 1 inch (orperhaps more) before it would need to be replaced, for substantialeconomic savings. The shim width is desirably slightly less than thewidth (between walls 38) of the axle end portion 18. The shim block 52is attached to the respective axle end portion 18 by a pair of screws 82which extend through apertures 84 in the shim block 52 and arethreadedly received in threaded apertures 86 in the axle end portion 18.The heads 88 of screws 82 are received in countersinks 90 in the shimblock 52 so that the heads 88 do not obstruct the spring block 56 fromlying flat on the shim block 52.

Referring to FIG. 5, the spring block 56 is attached to the retainer cap54 by a screw 94 which passes upwardly through an aperture 96 in springblock 56, and it has a reduced diameter threaded portion 98 which istightly threadedly received in a threaded aperture 100 in retainer cap54. The reduced diameter portion 98 defines a shoulder 102 which bottomson the retainer cap 54. The head 104 of screw 94 is received in acounterbore 106 so that the head 104 does not obstruct the spring block56 from lying flat on the shim block 52. The distance between theshoulder 102 and the screw head 104 is a fixed distance which isselected to allow a small gap, illustrated at 108, between the springblock 56 and retainer cap 54 and which allows upward movement of thespring block 56 to narrow or close the gap 108, as hereinafterdiscussed. The lower end of the retainer cap 54 has an increaseddiameter bore 110 through which the screw passes before threadedlyengaging aperture 100, the bore 110 defining an annulus 112 about thescrew 94. The upper end of spring block 56 has an increased diameterbore 114 which defines an annulus 116 about the screw 94. A suitableplurality of, for example, 18 Belleville or other suitable springwashers 118 are received to fill both annulus 112 and annulus 116, thenumber determined in accordance with principles commonly known to one ofordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains, toprovide a spring assembly to achieve more uniform wheel loaddistribution. It should be understood that other suitable springs may beprovided. A flat washer 120 is received at the bottom of each annulus112 and 116. The gap 108 may, for example, be about 0.160 inch to allowvertical movement of the wheel over 0.160 inch relative to other wheelsso as to relieve the wheel from bearing more than its share of the load.

Referring to FIGS. 6 and 7, each screw or fastener 76 is shown to have ahead 150 which is shaped to have a plurality of, for example, 6 planarsurfaces 152 (defining a hex-head) circumferentially about the screwlongitudinal axis, illustrated at 154, providing means for applying awrench for loosening and tightening the screw.

In order to provide a more secure means for preventing loosening of thescrews 76, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the presentinvention, a block 156 of steel or other suitable material having agenerally planar surface 158 is welded to closure member 54, asillustrated by weld 160, so that the planar surface 158 closely engagesor is adjacent one of the planar surfaces 152 of the screw head 150 toprevent or lock the screw head 150 from being rotated and thereby toprevent loosening of the screw 76. The locking block 156 may beotherwise suitably secured to the closure member or retainer cap 54. Inorder to remove the screw 76 for repair or replacement of the axlemounting assembly, the weld 160 is suitably cut or removed and thelocking block 156 then removed.

The wheel and axle assembly may be retrofitted to form the wheelcartridge of the present invention whereby the cartridge may be easilyand quickly removed from the transfer car 10 for repair or re-machiningand easily and quickly replaced by the re-machined cartridge or anotherone. For differences in wheel diameter as a result, the shim thicknessmay be easily and quickly adjusted by increasing or decreasing thethickness thereof. The spring assembly allows a more uniform loaddistribution.

Although the invention has been described in detail herein, it should beunderstood that the invention can be embodied otherwise withoutdeparting from the principles thereof, and such other embodiments aremeant to come within the scope of the present invention as defined inthe appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. An axle mounting assembly for a vehiclecomprising a yoke including a generally U-shaped member defining a slotfor receiving an axle with the slot extending vertically and having anupper opening, a member removably attachable to said yoke to close theopening for removably retaining the axle in said yoke, and means fordistributing load between the assembly and other axle mountingassemblies for the vehicle, said load distributing means comprising ablock disposed in the slot and spring means for connecting said block tosaid closure member and biased to effect bearing of said block againstthe axle.
 2. An assembly according to claim 1 further comprising shimmeans disposable between said block and the axle.
 3. An assemblyaccording to claim 2 wherein said shim means is attachable to the axle.4. An assembly according to claim 1 wherein said yoke has a pair ofgenerally parallel walls which define the slot.
 5. An assembly accordingto claim 1 further comprising at least one fastener for attaching saidclosure member to said yoke, said fastener having a longitudinal axisand a head which is shaped to have a plurality of planar surfaces aboutsaid longitudinal axis for receiving a wrench, and means for preventingloosening of said fastener.
 6. An assembly according to claim 5 whereinsaid loosening preventing means comprises a member removably attachableto said closure member to bear against one of said planar surfaces. 7.An assembly according to claim 6 wherein said bearing member is weldedto said closure member.
 8. An assembly according to claim 1 wherein saidspring means comprises means defining a pair of aligned bores in saidblock and in said closure member respectively and having bottomsurfaces, means defining an aperture in one of said bottom surfaces,means defining a threaded aperture in an other of said bottom surfaces,a screw slidingly received in said an aperture means and threadedlyreceived in said threaded aperture whereby said block is movablerelative to said closure member, and a spring received in said bores andsurrounding said screw and biased to urge said block and said closuremember apart.
 9. An assembly according to claim 8 wherein said threadedaperture is in said closure member bore bottom surface, said screwhaving a head, and the assembly further comprises means defining acountersunk bore in said block for receiving said screw head.
 10. Anassembly according to claim 1 wherein said yoke has a pair of upstandingportions defining the slot and having upper surfaces respectively and apair of outer wall portions extending above said upper surfaces, each ofsaid upper surfaces has means defining a notch therein, said closuremember disposed to lie on said upper surfaces between said wall portionsand has a lower central protruding portion which is sized to fit betweensaid upstanding portions and a pair of lower protruding portions whichare sized and positioned to fit within said notch means respectively.11. A vehicle comprising a frame, a plurality of axles, means formounting end portions of said axles to said frame, at least one wheelrotatably mounted on each of said axles and having tread means forengaging a rail, at least one of said axle mounting means comprising ayoke including a generally U-shaped member defining a slot or receivingsaid respective axle with the slot extending vertically and having anupper opening, and a member removably attachable to said yoke to closethe opening for removably retaining the axle in said yoke, the vehiclefurther comprising means for distributing load between said at least oneaxle mounting means and other axle mounting means, said loaddistributing means comprising a block disposed in the slot and springemans for connecting said block to said closure member and biased toeffect bearing of said block against said axle.
 12. A vehicle accordingto claim 11 further comprising shim means disposed betwen said block andsaid respective axle.
 13. A vehicle according to claim 12 wherein saidshim means is attached to said respective axle.
 14. A vehicle accordingto claim 11 wherein said yoke has a pair of generally parallel wallswhich define the slot, said respective axle having a pair ofcomplementary parallel walls which are received adjacent said yokeparallel walls respectively whereby to prevent rotation of saidrespective axis.
 15. A vehicle according to claim 11 further comprisingat least one fastener for attaching said closure member to said yoke,said fastener having a longitudinal axis and a head which is shaped tohave a plurality of planar surfaces about said longitudinal axis forreceiving a wrench, and means for preventing loosening of said fastener.16. A vehicle according to claim 15 wherein said loosening preventingmeans comprises a member removably attached to said closure member tobear against one of said planar surfaces.
 17. A vehicle according toclaim 16 wherein said bearing member is welded to said closure member.18. A vehicle according to claim 11 wherein said spring means comprisesmeans defining a pair of aligned bores in said block and in said closuremember respectively and having bottom surfaces, means defining anaperture in one of said bottom surfaces, means defining a threadedaperture in an other of said bottom surfaces, a screw slidingly receivedin said an aperture means and threadedly received in said threadedaperture whereby said block is movable relative to said closure member,and a spring received in said bores and surrounding said screw andbiased to urge said block and said closure member apart.
 19. A vehicleaccording to claim 11 wherein the vehicle is a transfer car fortransporting heavy loads within a plant.
 20. A vehicle according toclaim 11 wherein said at least one axle mounting means is retrofitted inthe vehicle by forming a cut-out in the frame, inserting said at leastone axle mounting means in the cut-out and welding said at least oneaxle mounting means to said frame, and welding reinforcing plates tosaid at least one axle mounting means and said frame.